---
title: "User Quickstart"
description: "Start selling with the Spree Commerce open-source eCommerce solution"
---

Spree Commerce gives you a powerful, flexible platform to build and manage your online store - but before you can start selling, there are a few key steps to complete. 

This guide walks you through the essential setup tasks, from configuring payments and taxes to adding products and launching your storefront. Whether you're launching an MVP or just exploring Spree’s capabilities, this guide will help you get up and running quickly.

## Getting Started

![Getting Started tab showing the onboarding checklist with four key tasks](/docs/images/user/quickstart/1-getting-started.png)

When you log into a fresh Spree Commerce instance, you’ll land on the Getting Started tab - a quick-launch checklist that helps you configure the essentials and go live faster.

You’ll see four key onboarding tasks:

- Setup payments
- Add products
- Set customer support email
- Setup taxes collection

Once all tasks are completed, the checklist will disappear from view. Let’s walk through each step below.

### Setup Payment Method

![Payment setup onboarding step](/docs/images/user/quickstart/2-setup-payments.png)

To sell anything, you’ll need to configure at least one payment method.

Click **Setup Payment Method** to jump to **Settings → Payments**.

![Payments section of admin dashboard](/docs/images/user/quickstart/3-settings-payments.png)

At the top, you’ll see your currently enabled methods (e.g., Store Credits, added by default). 

Below that is a list of available payment methods you can add, such as Stripe, Adyen or PayPal.

<Note>Only payment methods that have been installed will appear in the Available Payment Methods list. If a method you’re expecting isn’t listed, ask your developer to confirm it has been added to the codebase.</Note>

To add a method:

1. Click **Add** next to your chosen method
2. Follow the setup instructions in the form
3. Click **Create** to enable it

<Note>Most payment gateways require you to have an account with the provider before setup.</Note>

To learn more about available methods and configuration, see [<u>Payments</u>](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/user/settings/payments).

### Add Products

![Add products Spree onboarding step](/docs/images/user/quickstart/4-add-products.png)

There are three ways to populate your store’s catalog:

- [<u>Add products manually</u>](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/user/products/creating-products) (ideal for small catalogs or testing)
- Import products using CSV (essential for large catalogs)
- [<u>Invite vendors to add their own products</u>](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/user/vendors/invite-vendor) (for marketplaces - Spree Enterprise only)

Click the **Add Products** button to start adding manually, or refer to the relevant articles based on your method.

Once you’ve added some products, make sure to set them as **Active** to publish them on the storefront.

For more detailed guides on creating and managing products, see:

- [<u>Creating Products</u>](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/user/products/creating-products)
- [<u>Editing Products</u>](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/user/products/editing-products)
- [<u>Editing Multi-Variant Products</u>](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/user/products/editing-multi-variant-products)
- [<u>Managing Products in Bulk</u>](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/user/manage-products/bulk-product-operations)

### Add Customer Support Email

![Add a customer support email onboarding step](/docs/images/user/quickstart/5-customer-support-email.png)

This small but critical step ensures customers know how to reach you.

Simply enter your customer support email in the field provided, and click **Save**.

This address will appear on your storefront and works as a contact for your customers in case they have any queries or require support.

### Setup Taxes Collection

![Setup tax collection ecommerce onboarding step](/docs/images/user/quickstart/6-setup-taxes.png)

To charge the correct taxes at checkout, click **Setup Tax Rates** to be taken to **Settings → Tax**.

From here, you can configure:

- Tax rates (manual or through third-party services like Avalara)
- Tax categories

For full instructions, please refer to our [<u>Tax support article</u>](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/user/settings/tax).

## Shipping Methods

![Configure shipping methods Spree onboarding step](/docs/images/user/quickstart/7-shipping-methods.png)

Customers won’t be able to complete orders without at least one shipping method configured.

To configure a shipping methods, go to **Settings → Shipping** and click **New Shipping Method** to define:

- Shipping zones
- Cost calculator settings
- Estimated delivery times
- Shipping and Tax categories
- Tracking links

See [<u>Shipping Methods</u>](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/user/settings/shipping-methods) for a full breakdown of settings and examples.

<Note>By default, all Spree stores have a Digital Delivery method pre-configured. If you plan on selling digital products, be sure to assign those products the Digital shipping category.</Note>

## Storefront Setup

![Setup a Spree storefront without code](/docs/images/user/quickstart/8-storefront-setup.png)

Once your product catalog, payments, taxes, and shipping are ready, it's time to build your storefront. Spree gives you a built-in visual page builder that lets you design your storefront without writing any code.

Navigate to **Storefront** in the admin dashboard to access:

### Themes

![Create and manage themes in the admin dashboard](/docs/images/user/quickstart/9-themes.png)

Here you can customize the design, layout, and branding of your storefront, and add new themes that you can switch between when desired.

Simply click on the theme you wish to edit to launch the Theme Editor.

![A screenshot of the Spree theme editor](/docs/images/user/quickstart/10-theme-editor.png)

If this is a fresh Spree installation, you’ll see the blank, default layout. However, here you can easily:

- Add and arrange pre-built page sections
- Update global theme settings like fonts and colors
- Upload and swap out media in individual sections
- Switch between mobile and desktop editor preview
- Click **Publish** in the top right when you're ready to save changes

For a detailed guide on customizing your storefront theme, please refer to our [<u>Theme Editor support article</u>](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/user/storefront/theme-editor).

<Warning>Changes are only saved when published. Previewing alone does not make them live.</Warning>

### Connect Your Domain

![Connecting a domain to Spree commerce](/docs/images/user/quickstart/11-connect-domain.png)

At the top of the Themes section, click **Connect your own domain** to add a custom domain or subdomain. This will redirect you to **Settings → Domains** where you can complete the setup of your custom domain.

### Pages

![A dashboard tab showing page management UI](/docs/images/user/quickstart/12-pages.png)

Use the Pages section to add static pages like:

- About Us
- Contact
- Custom landing pages

Click **Add new page** and fill in the page name and SEO fields. 

![Ecommerce dashboard showing a page creation form](/docs/images/user/quickstart/13-add-new-page.png)

Click Create to finalize the settings of the new page, and you’ll be taken directly to the Theme Editor to edit the content of your new page.

To learn more about Pages, please refer to our [<u>Pages</u>](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/user/storefront/create-page) support article.

### Posts

![Ecommerce dashboard with a blog CMS](/docs/images/user/quickstart/14-posts.png)

Spree includes a built-in blogging tool that’s great for content marketing and SEO.

To add a blog post, go to **Storefront → Posts** and click **New Post**.

![A blog post editor in Spree Commerce](/docs/images/user/quickstart/15-new-post.png)

Simply, fill in your post content, image, and SEO fields, set a Published At date, and click **Create** to finalize your new post.

To learn more about Posts, please refer to our [<u>Posts</u>](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/user/storefront/create-post) support article.

### Storefront Settings

![An ecommerce storefront settings menu](/docs/images/user/quickstart/16-storefront-settings.png)

In **Storefront → Settings**, you can control:

- SEO settings, including search engine indexing preferences
- Favicon and social share images
- Social media links
- Custom code snippets to add to head and body tags
- Storefront password protection preferences

Make sure to click **Update** to save your changes.

<Note>To appear in search results, make sure **Index in search engines** is checked.</Note>

## Managing Multiple Stores

![Spree multi-store ecommerce](/docs/images/user/quickstart/17-multi-store.png)

If you need to launch multiple storefronts (e.g., for different regions or brands), you can create a new store by clicking the **\+** button next to your store name (top-left) and selecting **New Store**.

![Adding a new store in Spree Commerce](/docs/images/user/quickstart/18-new-store.png)

You’ll be asked to:

- Name the store
- Choose a country, currency, and locale
- Decide whether to import products and payment methods from the current store

Each store can operate independently and have unique designs, catalogs, and settings, but they all share customers, admin users, and some other configurations.

Learn more about managing multiple stores in our [<u>multi-store use case documentation</u>](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/use-case/multi-store/model).

## Analytics

![Spree Commerce dashboard analytics](/docs/images/user/quickstart/19-home-screen.png)

Your Spree dashboard Home tab gives you high-level insights into store performance. 

You’ll see:

- Key Sales KPIs for revenue, orders, AOV and sign-ups
- A list of top selling products over the selected time range

Use the date selector to change the reporting period at any time.

Similarly, you can view and export sales reports from the Reports tab:

![Spree Commerce native reports](/docs/images/user/quickstart/20-reports.png)

### 3rd Party Tools

For more detailed analytics, we recommend using our native [<u>Google Analytics 4</u>](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/integrations/analytics/google-analytics) or [<u>Google Tag Manager</u>](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/integrations/analytics/google-tag-manager) integration.

## Next Steps

Once you’ve completed the basic setup, you’re ready to explore more advanced features and tailor your store to your business model. Here’s some recommended reading:

- [**<u>Learn how to manage orders</u>**](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/user/orders/processing-orders) - process payments, fulfill shipments, create and edit orders
- [**<u>Learn how to process returns</u>**](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/user/returns/returns-processing) - configure returns flow, authorize returns, reimburse customers
- [**<u>Explore multi-store setups</u>**](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/use-case/multi-store/model) - run separate storefronts with unique catalogs, domains, and branding
- [**<u>Launch a B2B storefront</u>**](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/use-case/b2b/b2b-commerce-model) - offer net terms, tiered pricing, company accounts, and purchase flows optimized for wholesale
- [**<u>Build a multi-vendor marketplace</u>**](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/use-case/marketplace/model) - invite third-party vendors to sell through your platform
- [**<u>Create a multi-tenant platform</u>**](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/use-case/multi-tenant/multi-tenant-model)  power multiple stores or clients from a single backend
- [**<u>Sell digital products</u>**](https://spreecommerce.org/docs/use-case/digital-products/model) - deliver files automatically, skip shipping steps, and disable inventory tracking
